Trek Guide
Add Tilicho Lake (4,919m) to the Annapurna Circuit: the route, extra days, difficulty, acclimatisation and 2026 cost — a guide-led plan for the…
By Travel Himalaya Nepal · Jun 5, 2026
Tilicho Lake sits at 4,919m in a glacial amphitheatre below the Tilicho Peak — one of the highest large lakes anywhere on earth. Bolting it onto the classic Annapurna Circuit is, in our opinion, the single best upgrade you can make to the trek: two to three…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
The standard Annapurna Circuit is already one of the great walks of the world — a full loop through subtropical valleys, pine forest, high desert and a 5,416m pass. But it bypasses Tilicho entirely. The lake hangs in a hidden side-valley west of Manang…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
You follow the normal Circuit up the Marsyangdi valley — Besisahar, Chame, Pisang — to Manang (3,540m) , the great acclimatisation hub of the trek. Instead of pushing straight on toward Yak Kharka and the pass, you branch southwest: Manang → Khangsar (3,734m)…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
Against a 12–14 day Circuit, Tilicho realistically adds 2–3 days : one to reach Base Camp via Khangsar, one for the lake and return, and often a built-in buffer day for weather or a second acclimatisation night. That is why most quality Tilicho itineraries…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
Harder than the standard Circuit, mainly for three reasons: the landslide traverse, the back-to-back high days, and the thin air at the lake. You do not need technical climbing skills or ropes — it is a walking trek — but you need solid hill fitness, a steady…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
Tilicho is a real altitude-sickness risk because of how fast you gain height above Manang. The golden rules apply harder here: climb high, sleep low; build in rest at Manang; and never push to the lake with worsening symptoms. We schedule an acclimatisation…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
Good news: Tilicho needs no special permit . The two documents you carry for the Annapurna Circuit cover the lake side-trip as well: ACAP (Annapurna Conservation Area Permit) — around US$30 for non-SAARC nationals. TIMS card — around US$20 where it is still…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
A guided Annapurna Circuit with Tilicho Lake typically runs US$1,300–2,300 per person , depending on group size, season and comfort level. The Tilicho detour itself adds little beyond two or three extra days of teahouse food, lodging and guide/porter wages —…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
Two reliable windows: spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) , with October and November the most popular and most stable. Avoid the monsoon (June–August), when the Base Camp landslide section becomes genuinely hazardous and views vanish into…
Travel Himalaya Nepal · News
Plan your trek
NMA-certified guides · permits sorted · 5,000+ treks since 1998.
Free guide
Permits, costs, seasons and routes — the essentials we send every traveller, plus a free, no-obligation trip quote.
↑ Swipe up
Read the full report and grab the free Nepal Trek Insider Guide — or ask our Pokhara team for a tailored, no-obligation quote.
Read more & get the free guide Plan my trip — free quote